1. What is the first theological principle of worship?
Worship is an assembly of God’s people in His very presence.
2. Explain the significance of the term church in relation to worship.
The church is different because it is an assembly of God’s people in His very presence. The assembling of the church is a meeting with God as well as with fellow believers. The assembly is an extraordinary, supernatural event. This is implicit in the very term church.
3. Describe three ways God indicated His presence in Old Testament worship assemblies. (Exodus 20:24; 24:15-17; 33:11; Deuteronomy 5:4; Psalm 27:8)
God’s people assembled for worship regularly during the Old Testament period, and God manifested His presence in those assemblies (at Mount Sinai, in the tabernacle and in the temple on Mount Zion). God declared His presence in those assemblies in several ways.
We have already considered the significance of the divine name as a sign of the divine presence. God said, “An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.” (Exodus 20:24). God’s name was associated with certain places where He revealed Himself (revealed His name) to Israel. These places came to be places of worship because God’s name was there. Because God’s name was there, Israel understood that God was present there in some special way. Likewise, we have seen the significance of God’s glory, the kabod, as indicative of the divine presence. At Mount Sinai “And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.” (Exodus 24:17). This was a visible manifestation that the omnipresent God was present in a special way as His people assembled to worship.
A third manifestation of the divine presence was what the Old Testament describes as “meeting God face to face.” When Moses was at Mount Sinai God chose to reveal His face. “The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,” (Deuteronomy 5:4; cf. Exodus 33:11).
To refer to “the face of God” is to use a figure of speech known as an anthropomorphism. The term suggests not a face but rather God’s real presence – a presence in which direct personal communication takes place. What else can one do but bow in worship when sanding “face to face” with the Almighty God?
Worship, then, can be understood as seeking the face of God and entering into His immediate presence. As the Psalmist writes, “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. ” (27:8). This is a mandate for Christians to gather in worship to seek Jehovah’s face. Such assemblies for worship often conclude with a familiar benediction that refers to the face of God:
4. What is the regulative principle of worship?
Man is not free to make up the rules as he goes along. The triune God, who alone is worthy of worship, has instituted the principles under which He is to be given homage. Basing the practice of worship on only what can be derived from Scripture is known as the regulative principle of worship.
The regulative principle has ample support in the Old Testament ceremonial law and moral law. Under the ceremonial law God’s will for worship was specified in detail. When the tabernacle was constructed God commanded that it be built according to a very specific plan which He revealed in detail (see Exodus 25-27). Elsewhere Jehovah stated, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” (Deut 4:2).
There is recorded a sobering story of two priests who disregarded regulative worship by introducing their own ideas. Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before the Lord which He had not ordered (Leviticus 10:2). This event confirmed that God required Israel to worship in accordance with His revealed will.
The ceremonial law had minute regulation sin connection with tabernacle and temple worship that are no longer binding. Christ came and fulfilled the ceremonial law. However, this does not mean that the regulative principle is now obsolete. There is also a moral law – the Ten Commandments – which specifies God’s will concerning worship. The moral law is still operative. The first four commandments in particular must govern our worship today
5. What are some examples of Old Testament support for the regulative principle of worship (Exodus 25:40; 20:1-11; Deuteronomy 4:2; Leviticus 10:2)
The first commandment specifies the object of true worship (Exodus 20:3). True worship must be given to the true God exclusively. No room is allowed for the worship of idols, saints, angels, the virgin Mary, or any other person or object in the universe.
The second commandment specifies that the manner of true worship must be spiritual rather that physical. Worship is not through visual representations (Exodus 20:4-6). The second commandment forbidden in the worshipping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in His Word”
The third commandment specifies the attitude God desires in our worship (Exodus 20:7). True worship requires a reverent attitude toward the Lord God. The idea of reverence is also conveyed in the most common Old Testament word for worship, shahah. It is the equivalent of proskuneo in the New Testament and means “to do reverence to, to bow down.” Its use is illustrated in II Chronicles 7:3 where it is recorded that “all the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the Lord . . . God desires that we recognize His worthiness and bow in His holy presence to hold His name in high regard.
The fourth commandment specifies one appointed time for worship (Exodus 20:8-11). Certainly all our time is to be used to glorify God. Yet true worship requires setting aside one day out of seven for corporate worship. God has given us freedom as to the hour of the service and its length. But He has prescribed the day. With the resurrection of Christ there was a shift from the seventh day to the first day. Christians may meet for worship any day during the week. Yet they dare not neglect meeting on the first day for this purpose.
6. Explain the meaning of the first four commandments of the moral law in relation to worship. (Exodus 20:1-11) They put God in Hid proper place of authority and glory. 1.) "Thou shall have no other gods before Me. Including self, wife, kids, hobbies, work, anything or anyone before Him. He will recieve His glory. 2.) "Thou shal not makunto thee any graven images." As Isaiah said no one can make an image of God Almighty, who can be compared to Him? Any attempt to do so usurps God's glory, it diminishes His perfection. Then its idolatry. 3.) "Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." He reveals His presence, His glory, and His divine nature by His name, and just using it in any expression besides an act of worship is a violation of this commandment. 4.) "Remember the Sabbath Day and to keep it holy." The day set aside to corporately gather in His name, in His presence, and with His people for honor, worship and admonition of the Lord. It is not negotiable, it is commanded in the fourth commandment!
No comments:
Post a Comment